బ్రహ్మచారి ముదిరినా, బెండకాయ ముదిరినా, లంజ ముదిరినా పనికిరాదు
brahmachari mudirina, bendakaya mudirina, lanja mudirina panikiradu
An aging bachelor, an overripe okra, and an aging prostitute are of no use.
This is a traditional Telugu proverb used to describe things or people that lose their value, utility, or charm once they pass their prime. Just as an overripe okra becomes too fibrous to cook, certain roles or states of being become problematic or ineffective if they persist too long beyond their ideal time.
Related Phrases
పేడు ముదిరి పెండ్లికొడుకగు
pedu mudiri pendlikodukagu
A wooden chip matures to become a bridegroom
This expression is used to describe a situation where a child or a person who was once small, insignificant, or looked down upon has now grown up and reached a significant milestone or status in life. It emphasizes the passage of time and the natural progression of growth.
నలుపు ముదిరితే తెలుపు
nalupu mudirite telupu
When black matures, it becomes white.
This expression is used to describe the aging process, specifically referring to how black hair eventually turns white as one gets older. It highlights the inevitability of aging and the transition into the senior stages of life.
ఏడు మారినా, ఈడు ముదిరినా ఏమీ మారదు ఈ లోకంలో.
edu marina, idu mudirina emi maradu i lokamlo.
Even if the year changes or age advances, nothing changes in this world.
This expression conveys a sense of cynicism or realism about the unchanging nature of the world. It suggests that despite the passage of time (new years) or personal growth and aging, the fundamental problems or behaviors of society remain the same. It is often used to express frustration with lack of progress.
బెదిరించి బెండకాయ పులుసు పోసినట్లు
bedirinchi bendakaya pulusu posinatlu
Like threatening someone and then serving them okra stew.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone makes a huge scene, uses intimidation, or creates a lot of hype, only to deliver a very mild, disappointing, or underwhelming result. It highlights the anticlimactic gap between a fierce threat and a harmless outcome.
పోయిన మగడు పోయినా, పొన్నకాయలా గుండు కుదిరింది
poyina magadu poyina, ponnakayala gundu kudirindi
Even if the husband is gone, the head shave is as perfect as a Ponnakaaya fruit.
A sarcastic expression used to describe a situation where someone overlooks a major loss or disaster and instead focuses on a trivial or insignificant detail that turned out well. It highlights a misplaced sense of priority or an inappropriate focus on minor aesthetics/outcomes amidst a tragedy.
నక్క ముదిరితే వాడు, తొండ ముదిరితే ఊసరవెల్లి.
nakka mudirite vadu, tonda mudirite usaravelli.
If a fox ages/matures, it becomes a 'vadu' (cunning man); if a garden lizard ages/matures, it becomes a chameleon.
This expression is used to describe how people or situations evolve into more extreme or devious versions of themselves. It suggests that with age or experience, a person's inherent traits (especially negative ones like cunningness or fickleness) become more pronounced and refined. It is often used to mock someone who has become increasingly manipulative or prone to changing their stance.
రసం ముదిరితే రాగం, పాకం ముదిరితే పాట
rasam mudirite ragam, pakam mudirite pata
If the juice/essence deepens it becomes a melody; if the syrup matures it becomes a song.
This expression highlights that true art and beauty emerge from maturity and intensity. Just as a melody is formed when an emotion (rasam) reaches its peak, and a song becomes sweet like a thick syrup (pakam) when boiled to perfection, excellence in any field is achieved through depth and refinement over time.
తొండ ముదిరితే ఊసరవెల్లి, గొల్ల ముదిరితే పిళ్ళ
tonda mudirite usaravelli, golla mudirite pilla
If a garden lizard matures, it becomes a chameleon; if a shepherd matures, he becomes a monk.
This proverb highlights how people's nature or professional identity changes as they grow older or more experienced. It suggests that with age and experience, individuals often undergo a transformation into a more complex or refined version of themselves, similar to how a common lizard is perceived to change into a more specialized chameleon.
రండ ముదిరితే రంగసాని, తొండ ముదిరితే ఊసరవెల్లి
randa mudirite rangasani, tonda mudirite usaravelli
A widow becoming a courtesan as she ages is like a garden lizard becoming a chameleon as it matures.
This proverb is used to describe how people or situations can change into more cunning, complex, or undesirable forms over time or with experience. It suggests that certain negative traits or circumstances tend to evolve into more sophisticated versions of themselves rather than improving.
పాము ముదిరి కడకు గామైనట్లు
pamu mudiri kadaku gamainatlu
Like a snake aging and eventually becoming a 'Gama' (Protective Spirit/Deity)
This expression refers to how someone or something changes significantly in character, status, or temperament over a long period of time. In folklore, it is believed that an old snake evolves into a 'Gama' (a guardian spirit of hidden treasures). It is used to describe a person who has grown very experienced, wise, or even more formidable and dangerous with age.